HAND-BOOK OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. PART FIRST: THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH OF J. H. MARONIER, PREACHER AT LEYDEN. BY FRANCIS T. WASHBURN. From the Fourth Dutch Edition. BOSTON: WILLIAM V. SPENCER, 203 WASHINGTON STREET. 1869. HAND-BOOK OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. PART FIRST: THE HISTORY OF RELIGION TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH OF J. II. MARONIER, PREACHER AT LEYDEN. BY FRANCIS T. WASHBURN. From the Fourth Dutch Edition. BOSTON: WILLIAM V. SPENCER, 203 WASHINGTON STREET. 1869. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by FRANCIS T. WASHBURN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massaohasett. NoTIcE. -In translating this Manual, some changes have been made in the text, with the consent of the author, and some additions have been made by the translator. The additions are enclosed in brackets [ ]. Rockwell & Churchill, Printers, 122 Washington Street. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Pap Of Religion in General... CHAPTER II. Of the Bible....... 6 CHAPTER III. The History of Israel - the Patriarchs....7 CHAPTER IV. The History of Israel - from Moses to David.. 10 CHAPTER V. The History of Israel - from David to the Captivity 18 CHAPTER VI. The History of Israel —from the Captivity to the Founding of Christianity... 17 IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. John the Baptist...19 CHAPTER VIII. The Life and Work of Jesus... 20 CHAPTER IX. The Teaching of Jesus - the Sermon on the Mount 22 CHAPTER X. The Teaching of Jesus - the Parables.. 25 CHAPTER XI. The Sufferings and Death of Jesus. 27 CHAPTER XII. The First Christian Community.... 29 CHAPTER XIII. The Apostle Paul.... 82 CHAPTER XIV. The History of Christianity after the Death of the Apostles... 34 PART FIRST. THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. CHAPTER I. OF RELIGION IN GENERAL. 1. What do you understand by religion? Religion is our sense of dependence upon a higher being, and the need we feel to approach and worship that higher being. a. What do you mean by dependence? b. In what are we dependent upon a higher being? 2. Have all nations the same religion? There are many religions in the world. We may divide them into four chief kinds, —the Heathen, the Jewish, the Mohammedan, and the Christian. a. What do you know of the Heathen religions? b. What distinguishes the Jewish religion? c. When, where, and by whom was the Mohammedan religion founded? 3. Which is the best of all religions? The Christian religion is the best of all relig5 6 ions. It teaches us to revere God as a Father, and to love all men as ourselves. a. When did the Christian religion arise? b. Is the Christian religion already spread over a great part of the earth? c. What nations profess the Christian religion? CHAPTER II. OF THE BIBLE. 1. Where can we learn what the Christian religion is? We may learn what the Christian religion is from the Bible, especially from the books of the New Testament.* a. What does the word Bible mean? b. How is the Bible divided? 2. Of what books does the Old Testament consist? The Old Testament consists of a number of books, written at different times. These books may be divided into four kinds, - historical, poetical, proverbial, and prophetical. a. What are the historical books? *[It will also help us to understand what the Christian religion is to study, its action and influence upon ourselves and others, and upon Christendom in general, and to compare it with other religions. 7 b. Name the poetical books. c. What are the names of the proverbial books? d. What names do the prophetical books bear? 3. Of what books does the New Testament consist? The New Testament consists of the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, a number of Epistles, and the Revelation of John. a. What does the word gospel mean? b. What names do the four Gospels bear? c. What do the Gospels contain? d. What do we read in the Acts of the Apostles? e. Name the epistles of Paul. f. Whose epistles besides have we in the New Testament? CHAPTER III. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. The Patriarchs. 1. Among what people did the Christian religion arise? The Christian religion arose among the Jewish or Israelitish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. a. Where did the Israelitish people live? b. Where do the Israelites now live? 8 2. What comes before the history of Israel in the Bible? In the first chapters of the Bible, we read the account of the Creation, of Paradise, of Cain and Abel, of the Flood, and of the Tower of Babel. a. What is the account of the Creation? Gen. i. 1-28. b. What do you know of the story of Paradise? Gen. ii.; iii. c. What do we read of Cain and Abel? Gen. iv. 3-16. d. What do you know about the Flood? Gen. vi. 5 -viii.; [ix. 1-17.] e. What is told of the Tower of Babel? Gen. xi. 1-9. 3. What do you know about Abraham? Abraham, the forefather of the Israelites, was an upright and God-fearing man, who for his piety was called a friend of God. a. Where was Abraham born? Gen. xi. 27, 28. b. Where did he go with his household? Gen. xi. 29-32; [xii. 1-10.] c. What happened to him in Canaan, and how did he treat his nephew Lot? Gen. xiii.; [xiv. 14-16.] [d. How is he said to have interceded for Sodom? Gen. xviii. 22-33.] e. What remarkable account is given us of Abraham's obedience to God? Gen. xxii. 1-19. [f. What else is told of him and of Lot? Gen. xv. 5; xviii. 1-5, 16-22; xix. 1-3, 15-28.] g. What do you know about Isaac? Gen. xxiv. and xxv. 27, 28; [xxvi. 1, 12-25.] 4. What do you know about Jacob and Esau? 9 Jacob and Esau, the two sons of Isaac, were very unlike in character; this gave rise to many family quarrels. a. In what way did Jacob overreach his brother and his father? Gen. xxv. 29-34; xxvii. 1-29. b. What troubles resulted to Jacob in consequence of this? Gen. xxvii. 30-45. c. What dream had Jacob on the way to Haran? Gen. xxviii. 10-17. d. What happened to Jacob at Haraq? Gen. xxix.; xxxi. e. Were the brothers ever again reconciled with each other? Gen. xxxii. 3-23; xxxiii. [f. What else is told us of Jacob? Gen. xxxii. 1, 2, 24-32; xxxv. 9-15.] g. What other name had Jacob? Gen. xxxv. 10. 5. Of which of Jacob's sons does the Bible tell us most? The history of Joseph is told us at greatest length in the Bible. He was sold by his brothers as a slave, and afterwards became viceroy of Egypt. a. How did it happen that Joseph was sold as a slave? Gen. xxxvii. 2-36. b. How came he to be viceroy of Egypt? Gen. xl. and xli. c. Did he ever see his father and his brethren again? Gen. xlii.-xlv. and xlvi. 28-30. 10 CHAPTER IV. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. From Moses to David. (From the year 1500 to 1000 before Christ.)* 1. Who made the Israelites a nation? Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, gave them the law of the ten commandments, and led them through a wilderness to Canaan. a. Was the lot of the Israelites in Egypt after Joseph's death an unhappy one? Exod. i. 6-14, 22. b. What do you know of Moses' youth? Exod. ii. 1-10. c. What roused Moses to liberate his people? Exod. ii. 11-25; iii. 1-10. [d. What had he to overcome? Exod. iii. 11; iv. 1, 1016; v. 5, 6, 20-23; vi. 12, 30; x. 7-11; xi. 3.] e. What is told about the departure of the Israelites from Egypt? Exod. xii. 29-51; xiii. 17-22; [xiv.] f. What are the ten commandments? Exod. xx. 1-17. 2. Who brought the Israelites into Canaan? After a long wandering through the wilderness, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, took possession of the land of Canaan. [a. Why did Moses make such a long and circuitous ^Tqe masrke of parenthesis are throughout the author's.] 11 march? Exod. xiii. 17, 18; Num. xiii. 31; xiv. 1-3, 30-32; xx. 14-21; xxi. 4. b. What had he to contend with? Exod. xv. 24; xvi. 2, 3; Num. xi. 4-6, 10-15; xii. 2; xiii. 31-33; xiv. 1-4, 41-45; xvi. 1-3; xxi. 23. c. How did he organize his administration of justice, and who helped him to do it? Exod. xviii. 13-26.] d. What is told of the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness? Exod. xvi. 13-15; xvii. 1-13; [xix.; xx. 1-22; xxxii.; xxxiii. 7-23; xxxiv. 1-9, 28 -35; xl. 33-38.] Num. [xi. 16-35; xx. 2-11]; xxi. 6-9. [e. What is the story of Balaam? Num. xxii.-xxiv.] f. How is the death of Moses described? Deut. xxxiv. 1-8. g. What do you know of the tabernacle? Exod. xxxiii. 7-11; (xxv.-xxvii.) [h. What are some of the precepts and laws found in the Pentateuch? Exod. xii. 49; xxi. 2-6; xxii. 21-27; xxiii. 4, 5, 10-12; Levit. xi. 44, 45; xix. 2, 9, 10, 13, 18, 33, 34; xxiv. 22; xxv.; Num. xxxv. 11-13; Deut. vi. 4, 5; x. 12-19; xv. 7-18; xx. 19, 20; xxii. 1-7; xxiv. 6-22; xxv. 4; xxx. 11-14.] i. What is told us about the conquest of Canaan? Joshua [iii. 14-17; v. 13-15;] vi.; vii.; [x. 11-14; xxi. 44; xxiv. 14-31.] 3. How were the Israelites governed in Canaan? At first each of the tribes of Israel had its own rulers; later, especially in times of war, they came under the rule of judges. a. Who were the greatest among the judges? Judges [iv. 4, 5]; vii. 1; xi. 29; xiii. 24, 25; 1 Sam. iv. 1. 12 [b. What do you know of Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson? Judges vi. ll-vii.; xi.-xii. 7; xiii.-xvi.] c. Against what enemies had the Israelites to fight at this time? Judges iii. 12, 13; iv. 2; x. 7. [d. What had they to suffer? Judges iii. 8, 14; v. 6, 7; vi. 1-6.] e. What story out of these times is given us in the book ofRuth Ruth? uth i.; ii. f. What was the state of religion at this time in Israel? Judges ii. 8-23; [iii. 5-7; viii. 27; x. 6.] [g. And of society? Judges xxi. 25.] 4. How were the Israelites governed after the time of the judges? In the days of Samuel, the Israelites desired to have a king like other nations. Samuel regarded their wish and anointed Saul to be king of Israel. a. What do you know of Samuel? 1 Sam. [i. 27, 28; ii. 18, 19, 26]; ii. ] [-21]; iv. 1; [vii. 16; xii. 1-5; xv.; xix. 18, 19.] [b. How did Saul become king? 1 Sam. viii.-xi.] c. What is known to you of Saul's reign? 1 Sam. xiii.; xiv.; [xviii. 8; xxxi. 1-6.] d. Who was Jonathan and how did he distinguish himself? 1 Sam. xiv. e. Who was Jonathan's faithful friend? 1 Sam. xviii. 1-9; [xix. 1-7; xx.; 2 Sam. i. 17-27.] 13 CHAPTER V. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. From David to the Captivity. (From the year 1000 to 600 before Christ.) 1. Who succeeded Saul as King? The successor of Saul was David, who distinguished himself by bravery in war and zeal in religion. a. Where was David born, and what do you know of his youth? 1 Sam. xvi.; xvii. [b. What else is told us of David before he became king? 1 Sam. xviii. 5, 12, 14, 30; xxii. 1, 2; xxiv. 5, 6; xxvi. 9-11; xxx. 26-31; 2 Sam. i. 13-16; ii. 4-7.] c. What enemies did David overcome? 2 Sam. iii. 1; v. 6-10, 25; viii. 1-14; x. 7-19; xxi. 15-22. d. What did David do in the interest of religion? 2 Sam. vi. 1-5, 13-15; vii. 1-17. [e. What else is told us of David? 2 Sam. iii. 28-39; iv. 9-12; vi. 12-19; viii. 11, 15; ix.; xi. 14-17; xii. 1-13; xiii. 30-33, 38, 39; xiv. 21, 28, 32, 33; xv. 1-14; xvi. 9-11; xviii; xix. 14, 22, 29; xxiii. 1, 15-17; xxiv. 10, 17, 24.] f. What poems are ascribed to David? [g. Which psalms do you like most?] 2. What do you know about Solomon? Solomon, the son and successor of David, was remarkable for his wisdom and riches, and made 14 himself especially famous by building the temple at Jerusalem. a. What is told of Solomon's wisdom? 1 Kings [iii. 5-28]; iv. 34; x. 1-13. [b. What else is told us of Solomon? 1 Kings iii. 1-3; iv. 20, 21; v. 1-6; ix. 21; x. 23-25.] c. What books of the Bible bear Solomon's name? d. What does the book of Proverbs contain? Prov. i.-iv.; viii.; xii. 10, 18; xv. 15, 17; xvii. 17; xxi. 3, 27; xxvi. 12-16; xxvii. 6, 17, 19; xxxi. 1031.] e. What do you know about the temple? 1 Kings vi.; [viii. 1-11.] 3. What happened to the Israelitish kingdom after Solomon's death? The Israelitish kingdom was split in two; one part, which took the name of Judah, came under the rule of Solomon's son Rehoboam; over the other part, which bore the name of Israel or Ephraim, Jeroboam became king. a. What gave rise to the division of the Israelitish kingdom? 1 Kings [xi. 26-40]; xii. 1-16. [See also 2 Sam. xix. 43; xx. 1, 2.] [b. What is told us of the state of religion in the two kingdoms at this time? 1 Kings xii. 25-33; xiv. 22; xv. 3, 11, 26, 34; xvi. 25, 30; xxii. 51-53; 2 Kings iii. 2, 3; viii. 17, 18, 26, 27; xii. 2, 3; xiii. 2; xiv. 3, 24; xv. 3, 4, 24, 34; xvii. 12; Isaiah i. 1-9; xxxi. 6. c. And what of the state of politics and of society? 15 1 Kings xiv. 30; xv. 7 b, 16, 27, 28; xvi. 21, 22; 2 Kings i. 1; viii. 20, 22, 28; x. 8-14, 25, 32; xiii. 3, 22; xiv. 8-14; xv. 10, 19, 25, 30, 37. d. What else do we find in the histories of these times? 1 Kings xiii.; xxii. 1-37; 2 Chron. xix. 5-11; xx. 1-19; xxv. 14-16; xxvi. 16-21; xxviii. 6-15; Amos vii. 10-17.] e. Which of the two kingdoms first fell? 2 Kings [xv. 19, 20, 29; xvi. 7]; xvii. 1-23; [xviii. 9-12.] [f. What do we read about Hezekiah and Josiah? 2 Kings xviii. 1-16; xix.; xx.; xxii.; xxiii. 1-30; 2 Chron. xxix.; xxxii.; xxxiv.; xxxv.] g. What was the end of the kingdom of Judah? 2 Kings [xviii. 13-16; xxiii. 31; xxiv.].; xxv. [2 Chron. xxxvi. 1-20.] 4. What men protected the interests of religion at this time? Prophets, like Elijah, Isaiah, and others, strove by their word and example to oppose idolatry and to advance the true religion. a. What does the name prophet mean? Amos vii. 14, 15; [Exod. iv. 15, 16; vii. 1, 2; Num. xii. 2; 1 Sam. x. 6; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2; 1 Kings xxii. 14; Jer. i. 9; Ezek. iii. 4, 10, 11.]* b. What is idolatry? Exod. xx. 3-5. [c. What were some of the heathen practices against which the prophets had to contend? 1 Kings xi. 5-8; xii. 27, 28; 2 Kings iii. 27a; xvi. 3: xvii. 16, 17; xxiii. 4-15; Ezek, viii. 16.] d. Under what kings did Elijah and Isaiah live, and what do you know of their lives? 1 Kings xvii.; 16 [xviii.; xix.; 2 Kings ii. 1-18]; Isaiahi. 1; xxxviii. [e. What is told us of Elisha and Jeremiah? 2 Kings iv.; vi. 23; xiii. 20, 21; Jer. xx. 1-6; xxvi.; xxviii.; xxxiv. 8; xxxviii.; xxxix, 11-14; xl. 1-6; xlii.; xliii. 1-7.] /. Name some other prophets out of the time of the kings. g. What expectations were awakened and kept alive by the prophets? Joel ii. 28, 29; Isaiah xi. 1-9. [h. Consider also such passages as Isaiah ii. 1-5; vi.; ix. 1-7; xix. 23-25; xxv.-xxviii. 18; xxx. 8-14; xxxv.; xl. 1-11; 27-31; xlii. 1-7; lii. 7-10; lii. 13 -liii.; lv.; lvi. 6-8; lvii. 15; lxi. 1-3; Jer. i. 4-10; v. 25-31; vi. 13-19; vii. 1-11; xii. 17; xxiii. 1632; xxxi. 1-21; xlviii. 46, 47; xlix. 39; Lamen. iii.; Hosea ii. 18-23; xiv.; Micah iv. 1-8; vi.] i. What do we read in the book of Job? Job i.; ii.; [iii.; xxxviii.-xlii.] [j. What do we learn of the social customs of that time and neighborhood from the book of Job? k. What insight does that book give us into the morality of those days? Job xxii. 5-9; xxiv. 2-24; xxix. 11-18; xxxi. 1. And what into the theology? * m. What does the book of Job teach you?] * [Questions like these may be usefully put on the book of Psalms, the Prophets, etc.] 17 CHAPTER VI. THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. From the Captivity to the Founding of Christianity. (From the year 600 before our era to the beginning of our era.) 1. Did the Israelites remain forever in captivity? Fifty years after the fall of the kingdom of Judah, the Israelites obtained permission to return to their native land. a. What king gave them this permission? Ezra i. b. Did all make use of this permission? Ezra ii. 64, 65. c. What is told of the Israelites who stayed behind? See the book of Esther. d. What men put themselves at the head of the Israelites who returned? Ezra vii. 6; [viii. 15-23, 31, 32]; Nehem. i.; ii. [e. What is told us of the rebuilding of the Temple? Ezra iii. 8-13; v. 1, 2; vi. 14-16. Comp. Zech. viii. f. And of the wall of Jerusalem? Nehem. ii. 12 —iv; vi. 15; xi. 27-47.] g. What prophets lived during and after the captivity? [h. What are some of the visions and prophecies of Ezekiel? Ezek. i.-iii.; xi. 14-25; xiii.; xviii.; xxviii. 1-19; xxxiii. 1-16; xxxiv.; xxxvii. 2 18 i. What is the story of Jonah, and what its teaching?] 2. What name did the Israelites who returned thenceforward bear? The Israelites who returned bore thenceforward the name of Jews, since most of them came from the former kingdom of Judah. a. What was the origin of the Samaritans? 2 Kings xvii. 24-33. b. What were hereafter the Jewish feasts? c. How did the synagogues arise? 3. What were the further fortunes of the Jews After the captivity, the Jews were subject to several nations, until, near the beginning of our era, they came under the dominion of the Romans. a. In what books has the history of the Jews during this period been preserved for us? b. Under what king were they most oppressed? c. What heroes freed them from this oppression? d. What do you know of the Romans? e. What parties or sects were there among the Jews at the beginning of our era? Matt. iii. 7; xxii. 23. [f. What do we mean when we speak of the mission of Israel, or what was it that made the Israelites our religious forefathers?] 19 CHAPTER VII. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 1. Who prepared the way for Christianity? John the Baptist prepared the way for Christianity in Israel. a. Who was John the Baptist? Matt. iii. 1, 2. b. How did he live? [Luke i. 80]; Matt. iii. 4; [ix. 14; xi. 18; Luke vii. 33.] 2. In what did the work of John the Baptist consist John the Baptist exhorted to change of heart and life, and baptized in the Jordan those who repented. a. What is change of heart and life? Luke iii. 10-14; [Matt. iii. 6 b, 8.] b. What did John mean by his baptism? Luke iii. 15, 16; [Matt. iii. 11, 12 a; Mark i. 4. Comp. Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27.] 3. What were the fruits of his work? A great multitude listened with interest to his preaching. But Herod caused him to be cast into prison and put to death. a. Give some examples of his preaching. Matt. iii. 7-12; Luke iii. 10-14. [b. What is said of the power of his preaching? Matt. iii. 5, 6; xi. 9-11; xxi. 26,32; Mark vi. 14-20.] c. What is told us of his death? Mark vi. 17-29. 20 CHAPTER VIII. THE LIFE AND WORK OF JESUS. 1. By whom was the work of John the Baptist continued? Jesus of Nazareth continued the work of John the Baptist, and by his preaching and his life founded the true religion. a. What is told us of Jesus' birth? Luke ii. 1-20; Matt. ii. b. And what of his youth? Luke ii. 40-52. 2. When and where did Jesus begin his public work? After John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus began to preach. He remained chiefly in Galilee, but went also from time to time into the neighboring countries. a. Was Jesus also baptized by John? Mark 1. 9-11. [b. What were his relations with John? Mark i. 9, 14; Matt. ix. 14-17; xi. 2-19; xiv. 12; Luke xi. 1; xvi. 16.] c. What is told us of his temptation in the wilderness? Matt. iv. 1-11. [d. What was his work? Matt. ix. 35. e. What had he to contend with? Matt. ix. 11, 12; xi. 19, 20; xii. 10-13, 24-29, 38-42; xiii. 55-57; xv. 2, 3, 15-17; xvi. 8, 22, 23; xvii. 17, 18; xx. 20 21 -22; xxi. 15, 16, 23-27, 46; xxii. 15-22; Mark iii. 21; ix. 34-40; x. 13; xii. 13, 14.] 3. Who were the disciples of Jesus? Jesus had twelve special disciples who were always with him. a. Was the number of Jesus' hearers great? Matt. iv. 25; Luke xxi. 37, 38. [b. How is he said to have called his disciples to follow him? Matt. iv. 18-22; ix. 9; Mark iii. 13. c. Compare Mark v. 18, 19, and x. 17-21, and consider why he did not desire one of these men to be his immediate follower, but did desire the other.] d. Give the names of the twelve special disciples of Jesus. Matt. x. 2-4. [e. What insight do the gospels give us into their characters? f. Which among them were his special friends? Matt. xvii. 1; Mark v. 37; x. 35; xiii. 3; xiv. 33. g. To what work did he send forth his disciples? Mark iii. 13-15; vi. 7, 12. h. What women were his followers and friends? Luke viii. 2, 3; x. 38-42; Matt. xxvii. 55, 56; Mark xv. 40, 41. i. How did he treat children? Matt. xviii. 1-6, 1014; Mark ix. 33-37, 42; x. 13-16. Comp. Matt. xxi. 16.] 4. What extraordinary works are related of Jesus? As of the Israelitish prophets, so also of Jesus, 22 a number of extraordinary works are related, which are generally called miracles. a. Give some of the accounts of miracles. Luke vii. 1-17; John ii. 1-11; Matt. xiv. 14-21; [Matt. viii. 2-13; ix. 18-31; xii. 10-13; xv. 30, 31; xvii. 1-13; Mark iii. 1-5; vi. 55, 56; x. 46-52; Luke xvii. 1119.] b. What disposition in Jesus comes to light in these accounts of miracles? Matt. xiv. 14; Acts x. 38. [c. What is told us of the power of his words and presence? Matt. vii. 28, 29; xiii. 54; xxii. 22, 33, 46; Mark xi. 18; Luke xiii. 17; xiv. 6; xx. 21. Comp. Acts iv. 13.] CHAPTER IX. THE TEACHING OF JESUS. A. The Sermon on the Mount. 1. Where did Jesus teach and preach? Jesus taught and preached wherever an occasion presented itself, - in the synagogues, upon mountains, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in the Temple at Jerusalem, in the houses of his friends, and also during meal-times and visits. a. What is told us of Jesus' first preaching at Nazareth? Luke iv. 16-30. b. What sermon did Jesus preach upon a mountain? Matt. v.-vii. 23 c. How did Jesus teach the people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee? Matt. xiii. 1-3. d. In what houses did he find open hearts? Luke x. 38-42; xix. 1-10. e. How did Jesus teach in the Temple? Luke xxi. 1-4. f. How did Jesus make use of a meal-time for his teaching? Luke vii. 36-50. 2. What did Jesus teach in the Sermon on the Mount? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught what is required of his followers as citizens of the kingdom of God, and what duties they are bound to fulfil. a. What are the beatitudes? Matt. v. 3-12. [Comp. xi. 5, 6, 28-30.] b. In what sense does Jesus call his followers the salt of the earth, and the light of the world? Matt. v. 13-16. c. Did Jesus wish to do away with the Jewish religion? Matt. v. 17, 20 [21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34, 38, 39; vii. 12. Comp. Luke v. 14; xvii. 14; Markii. 24, 27, 28; iii. 1-5; Matt. xv. 1-9; xix. 17-21; xxiii. 2-4, 23; xxii. 37-40.] d. What did he teach concerning murder? Matt. v. 21-26. e. What did he teach concerning oaths? Matt. v. 33 -37. f. What did he teach concerning the law of retaliation? Matt. v. 38-42. 24 g. How did Jesus preach love to enemies? Matt. v. 43-47. [Comp. xxiii. 37; Luke xxiii. 34.] h. What is the goal towards which man should strive? Matt. v. 48. 3. What did Jesus teach in the Sermon on the Mount concerning the outward forms of religion? Jesus showed that the disposition of the heart was the essential thing in all that we do for the honor of God. a. How did Jesus regard almsgiving? Matt. vi. 24. [See also x. 42; Mark xii. 41-44.] b. What did Jesus say about prayer? Matt. vi. 5-8. [See also Luke xviii. 11-14.] c. Repeat the Lord's Prayer. Matt. vi. 9-13. d. What did Jesus say about fasting? Matt. vi. 1618. 4. What teachings besides do we find in the Sermon on the Mount? We also find in the Sermon on the Mount teachings concerning the true riches, a trustful spirit, the judgment of others, the hearing of prayer, the way of life, etc. a. What are the best riches, in the judgment of Jesus? Matt. vi. 19-21, 24. [Comp. Luke xii. 16-21.] b. How does Jesus excite to trustfulness? Matt. vi. 25-34. [Comp. x. 29-31; xi. 25, 26.] c. What does Jesus say about judging others? Matt. vii. 1-5. 25 [d. How does he advise discretion? Matt. vii. 6. Comp. x. 16; xxi. 23-27; xxvii. 12-14; Mark iv. 33.] e. What did he teach with regard to the hearing of prayer? Matt. vii. 7-11. f. What does Jesus mean by the broad way and the wide gate? Matt. vii. 13, 14. g. What are false prophets? Matt. vii. 15-20. h. Who are the true citizens of the kingdom of God? Matt. vii. 21. [Comp. xii. 50; xxi. 28-30; xxvi. 39, 42.] i. How does the Sermon on the Mount close? Matt. vii. 24-27. CHAPTER X. THE TEACHING OF JESUS. B. The Parables. 1. Of what did the teaching of Jesus chiefly consist? Jesus taught chiefly in parables, revealing by them the divine meaning of human and earthly things. [a. What does the word parable mean? b. What human relations was Jesus especially fond of using to interpret divine things by? Matt. v. 45; vi. 9, 26; vii. 3; xi. 25-27; xii. 46-50; xviii. 35; xxi. 28, 37.] c. What is the parable of the prodigal son? Luke xv. 11-32. 26 d. What did Jesus wish to teach by this parable? Luke xv. 10. e. What parables come before that of the prodigal son? Luke xv. 1-9. [f. What parable is there about our forgiving others their sins? Matt. xviii. 23-35. Comp. John viii. 1-11. g. What is said to have been the occasion of this parable? Matt. xviii. 21, 22.] h. Give the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Matt. xxv. 1-13. i. What parable follows that? Matt. xxv. 14-30. 2. Do you know of other parables besides these? We find also in the Gospels the parables of the Pharisee and the publican, of Lazarus and the rich man, of the good Samaritan, and many others. a. Give the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. Luke xviii. 9-14. b. What is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man? Luke xvi. 19-31. c. Tell the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke x. 30-37. d. What does the parable of the foolish rich man teach us? Luke xii. 16-21. 3. Are there other parables still? Many of Jesus' parables have reference to the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. a. What are we to understand by the kingdom of heaven? Matt. vi. 10. 27 b. What is the parable of the sower? Matt. xiii. 1-9. c. What meaning has this parable? Matt. xiii. 1823. d. Explain the parables of the mustard-seed, and of the leaven. Matt. xiii. 31-33. e. What does the parable about the treasure in the field mean, and that about the pearl merchant? Matt. xiii. 44-46. CHAPTER XI. THE SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF JESUS. 1. How did the life of Jesus end? After a life of unwearied activity Jesus was cruelly put to death by his enemies upon a cross. a. Who were Jesus' enemies? Matt. xxi. 45, 46; xxii. 23, 35. b. Which of the disciples helped to bring about the death of Jesus? Luke xxii. 3-6. c. What meal did Jesus eat with his disciples before his death? Matt. xxvi. 17-30. d. What agony of soul did Jesus suffer at Gethsemane? Matt. xxvi. 36-46. 2. How was Jesus arrested? Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and arrested by the servants of the Jewish council in the garden of Gethsemane, where he had remained late in the evening with his disciples. 28 a. How did Judas betray his Master? Matt. xxvi. 47-50. b. What did one of the disciples do when Jesus was arrested? Matt. xxvi. 51-53. c. Bywhomwas Jesus tried and condemned? Matt. xxvi. 57-66. d. How was Jesus reviled and maltreated? Luke xxii. 63-65. e. Of what base act was Peter guilty? Matt. xxvi. 69-75. 3. Where was Jesus taken after he had been condemned by the Jewish council After his condemnation by the Jewish council Jesus was taken before the Roman governor Pilate, who ratified the sentence of death, and delivered him over to be crucified. a. Why was Jesus brought before Pilate? Matt. xxvii. 1, 2; [John xviii. 31.] b. What is told us of Judas' end? Matt. xxvii. 3 -5. c. What do you know of the trial of Jesus before Pilate? Mark xv. 1-20. [d. Upon what charge was Jesus condemned by Pilate? Matt. xxvii. 37; Mark xv. 26; Luke xxiii. 38; John xix. 19. Comp. Matt. xxvi. 63, 64; xxvii. 11, 17, 40, 42; Mark xv. 12, 17-19, 32; Luke xxiii. 2, 5; John xix. 12, 15; Acts i. 6.] 4. Where was Jesus crucified? Jesus was crucified on (olgotha. In the last 29 hours of his life his greatness shone out brightest. a. What happened on the way to Golgotha? Matt. xxvii. 32, 33. b. Was Jesus crucified alone? Matt. xxvii. 38. c. How did the greatness of Jesus appear during his sufferings upon the cross? Luke xxiii. 34, (39-43), 46; (John xix. 25-27.) d. By whom was the body of Jesus buried? (John xix. 38-42); Matt. xxvii. 57-61. CHAPTER XII. THE FIRST CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. 1. What is told us of the disciples and friends of Jesus after the death of their Master The Evangelists relate that Jesus' disciples and friends saw their crucified Master after his death and spoke with him. a. What is related on this subject in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke? Matt. xxviii. 1-10, 16-20; Luke xxiv. 13-53. b. What does the Evangelist John relate about it? John xx. 11-29; xxi. 1-7. [c. What does Paul say regarding it? 1 Cor. xv. 4-8.] d. What thoughts lie hidden in these accounts? John xiv. 19; Matt. xxviii. 20; [Acts ii. 24; Rom. vi. 9; 2 Tim. i. 10; Rev. i. 18a.] 30 e. How is the last appearing of Jesus to his disciples described? Luke xxiv. 50-52; Acts i. 9-12. 2. How did the disciples continue the work of Jesus? On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the disciples of Jesus began to preach Christianity at Jerusalem. a. What did the Jews celebrate on the feast of Pentecost? b. What is told us of the first preaching of the apostles? Acts ii. 1-14. c. What was the effect of this preaching? Acts ii. 37, 41. [d. What vision is Peter said to have had at Joppa? Acts x. 9-16. Comp. Acts x. 34, 35; Gal. ii. 11 -13. e. How is the work of the apostles described? Acts v. 12, 16, 42; vi. 4; viii. 4, 12, 14-17. f. What insight do Acts and the Epistles give us into the characters of the apostles?] 3. How was the first Christian community formed? The Christians at Jerusalem came daily together, and thus formed themselves into a community. a. What do you understand by the word community? b. What is told us of the community at Jerusalem? Acts [i. 13-151; ii. 42, 44-47; iv. 32-37. 4. What lot had the first community to bear? 31 The community of Jerusalem was speedily exposed to persecution. The first martyr for Christianity was Stephen. a. What is told us of this persecution? Acts iv. 1-3, [5-21; v. 17-41]; vi. 8-15. [b. What was charged against Stephen? Acts vi. 1114. Comp. Gal. i. 13, 14; Philip. iii. 6 a.] c. How did Stephen meet his martyrdom? Acts vii. 54-60. d. What followed the death of Stephen? Acts viii. 1-8, 26-40. e. Which of the apostles first suffered martyrdom? Acts xii. 1, 2. [f. What is told us of the church at Antioch? Acts xi. 19-30; xii. 25; xiii. 1-4; xiv. 26-28; xv. 1, 2, 22-35. Comp. Gal. ii. 11-14. g. What is told us about the customs and worship of the early churches and the mutual relations of their members? Acts vi. 1-6; viii. 12; xii. 12; xx. 7, 8, 11; xxi. 4-6; 1 Cor. xi. 20-34; xii. 8-10; Col. iii. 16; 1 Thess. v. 11-15; 1 Tim. iii. 1-13; iv. 13; v. 9, 10, 16, 17; Titus ii. 1-10; James i. 27; v. 13, 14, 16; 3 John 5, 6. h. What were some of the perplexities, controversies, and troubles of the early churches? Acts v. 1, 2; vi. 1; xv. 1, 2, 5; 1 Cor. i. 11, 12; viii. 4-13; xi. 18-21; Gal. i. 6, 7; ii. 4, 5; iv. 16-20; Philip. i. 15, 16; ii. 21; iii. 18, 19; 2 Thess. iii. 11, 12; 1 Tim. i. 3, 4, 6; v. 13; Heb. x. 25. i. What do we find concerning the charities and missions of the early churches, and their relations with 32 each other? Acts viii. 14-17; xi. 22-30; xiii. 2-5; xv. 1-35; Rom. x. 13-15; xv. 24-27; xvi.; 1 Cor. i. 1, 2; xvi.; 2 Cor. iii. 1; viii. 1-5, 19-24; ix. 15; Gal. ii. 10; Philip. iv. 1-3, 14-16; Col. iv. 7-18; Titus i. 5. j. What are some of the visions of the book of Revelation? Rev. iv.; v.; xxi.-xxii. 5.] CHAPTER XIII. THE APOSTLE PAUL. 1. Who did most for the spread of Christianity? Paul, at first a persecutor of the church, did most to spread Christianity, especially among the Gentiles. a. What is recorded of Paul's persecution of the Christian church? Acts viii. 1, 3. b. How is his conversion to Christianity described? Acts ix. 1-9. [Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 8.] [c. How did Paul conceive Christianity to be related to Judaism? Rom. ii. 6-15, 25-29; iii. 1, 2, 28-31; viii. 3, 14-17; ix. 1-5, 30-32; x. 1-3, 12; xi. 13-24; 2 Cor. iii. 6-18; Gal. ii. 16-20; iii. 23-28; iv. 1-10; v. 1, 13, 14. d. What was Paul's work? Rom. i. 1; xv. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xv. 9, 10; 1 Thess. ii. 9; Acts ix. 20, 22, 29; xvii. 1, 2, 17; xix. 8-10.] 2. How many journeys did Paul make? 33 Paul made three great journeys as apostle to the Gentiles, in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. a. Who were his companions on these journeys? Acts xi. 22-26; xv. 40; xvi. 1; xx. 4. b. What had he to endure upon these journeys? 2 Cor. xi. 24-33. [Comp. Acts xiii. 50; xiv. 5, 19; xvi. 22, 23; xxi. 30-36; xxii. 22-25; xxiii. 2, 10, 12.] [c. What were some of the occasions of this persecution? Acts xvi. 20, 21; xvii. 6, 7; xviii. 12, 13; xix. 24-27; xxi. 28; xxiv. 5, 6, 14; Gal. v. 11; vi. 12. d. Who was Apollos, and what were his relations with Paul? Acts xvii. 24-xix. 8; 1 Cor. i. 12, 13; iii. 4-9; iv. 5-7; xvi. 12. e. What vision is Paul said to have had at Troas? Acts xvi. 9, 10. Comp. 2 Cor. ii. 12, 13.] f. Where did he found churches? 3. What is the last account we have of Paul in the New Testament? After a life fall of work and hardship, Paul was arrested at Jerusalem, from there taken to Cesarea, and afterwards to Rome. a. How long did Paul's work last? b. Why was he arrested? Acts xxi. 27-40; xxii. 2230. c. Why was he taken to Cesarea? Acts xxiii. 1235. d. What happened to him at Cesarea? Acts xxiv. 24-27; xxvi. 1-32. 3 34 e. Why was he carried to Rome? Acts xxv. 7-12. Lf. What were some of the traits of Paul's character?] g. How did Paul die? CHAPTER XIV. THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY AFTER THE DEATH OF THE APOSTLES. 1. How did the Christian church spread after the death of the apostles? After the death of the apostles, the Christian church, in face of much persecution and opposition, spread out on all sides; especially after Constantine the Great, the head of the Roman empire, embraced Christianity. a. How many persecutions of the Christians were there, and which of them was the most severe? b. When did Constantine the Great live, and how is he said to have been converted to Christianity? 2. What abuses gradually grew up in the Christian church? The Christian church gradually became divided, and fell away from the simple religion which Jesus had preached by his word and life. a. Into what two great divisions was the Christian church very early separated? 35 b. Wherein did the Roman church fall away from simple Christianity? Matt. xxiii. 8-11; 1 Tim. iv. 1-8. c. In what ways has the Roman church done good? d. When was the corruption of the Roman church greatest? [e. When and by whom was Christianity first brought to this continent?] 3. In what way was a change brought about in this unhappy state of things? The reformers of the sixteenth century tried to remedy the abuses of the Roman church. When this did not succeed, those who were dissatisfied with the Roman church formed new societies, which, taken together, bore the name of the Protestant church. a. Who were the principal reformers? b. Why did the Roman church refuse to hear them? c. What special services did Luther render? [d. When and by whom was Protestantism first brought into North America? e. What do you know about the Puritans? f. What others came with a religious purpose to this country? g. What do you know of the history of your own sect?] 4. What were the fortunes of the Protestant church The Protestant societies, after some attempt at 36 union, followed separate paths. In process of time, new sects have arisen so that at present the Protestant church consists of a number of societies, some of which are separated from each other chiefly in name, and all of which are animated by something of a common spirit. a. What are the names of the chief Protestant bodies? b. In what do they all agree? 5. What does the history of the Christian church teach us? The history of the Christian church teaches us to admire the fatherly faithfulness and care of God toward mankind. He ever makes the light rise again out of darkness. Therefore may we also for the future hope all things from our Father in heaven. a. What can every Christian do to help forward the fulfilment of Christianity? Matt. v. 13-16; [1 Pet. ii, 9.] TWO VALUABLE AND SUGGESTIVE QUESTION BOOKS, FOR SUNDAY SCHOOLS, MANY TEACHERS, BUT ONE LESSON. A Book for Sunday Schools and Families by the author of Early Lessons about the Saviour, (second edition.) PRICE, $6.00 PER DOZEN. LESSONS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (FOR OLDER CLASSES.) BY CAROLINE S. WHITMARSH. AUTHOR OF Sunday Lessons for Young Children. Second Edition Revised, Just Ready. PRICE, $5.00 PER DOZEN. Both of the above books have been generally used in our schools the past year, and with great satisfaction. WM. V. SPENCER, Publisher, 203 Washington Street, (corner of Bromfield St.) BOSTON, 1MASS. IN PRESS. Hand-book of Religious Instruction. Part Second, The Christian Religion, translated from the Dutch of J. H. Maronier, by F. T. Washburn, from the third Dutch edition. HAND-BOOK OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. PART SECOND: THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH OF J. H. MARONIER, PREACHER AT LEYDEN. BY FRANCIS T. WASHBURN. From the Third Dutch Edition. BOSTON: WILLIAM V. SPENCER, 203 WASHINGTON STREET. 1869. HAND-BOOK OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. PART SECOND: THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH OF J. H. MARONIER, PREACHER AT LEYDEN. BY FRANCIS T. WASHBURN. From the Third Dutch Edition. BOSTON: WILLIAM V. SPENCER, 203 WASHINGTON STREET. 1869. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by FRANCIS T. WASHBURN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusett NOTICE. - In translating this Manual, some changes have been made in the text, with the consent of the author, and some additions have been made by the translator. The additions are enclosed in brackets [ ]. Rockwell & Churchill, Printers, 122 Washington Street. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Christian Religion in General... CHAPTER II. The Knowledge of God.... 6 CHAPTER III. Man... 8 CHAPTER IV. Sin... 10 CHAPTER V. Jesus Christ....11 CHAPTER VI. The Preaching of Jesus.. 1 IV CONrENTS. CHAPTER VII. The Life of Jesus..... 15 CHAPTER VIII. Christian Faith...... 16 CHAPTER IX. Christian Love.. 18 CHAPTER X. Christian Hope.. 20 CHAPTER XI. Christian Prayer....28 CHAPTER XII. The Christian Church.... 25 CHAPTER XIII. The Protestant Church. 27 CHAPTER XIV. Christianity and Society. 29 PART SECOND. THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. CHAPTER I. THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN GENERAL. 1. What do you understand by the Christian religion? The Christian religion is the religion of Jesus Christ, that which he preached and practised. a. What religions are there besides the Christian? b. In what does the Christian religion differ from the Heathen and the Jewish religions? 2. How can we learn what the Christian religion is? We learn what the Christian religion is from the preaching and the life of Jesus. a. Why must we consider the life as well as the preaching of Jesus? b. In which Gospels is the preaching of Jesus most exactly given? c. Is all that is told us about Jesus' life of equal value? 6 3. How can you define the Christian religion? The Christian religion consists in love to God and man, and in the worship of our heavenly Father in spirit and in truth. a. How has Jesus described religion as love? Matt. xxii. 35-40. b. How is the worship of God as a spiritual worship set forth? John iv. 23, 24. CHAPTER II. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 1. Is it possible for us to attain to a knowledge of God? God reveals himself to us in all that is. Therefore we may come to know him within the limits of our nature. a. What do you understand by revelation? Rom. i. 20; [Deut. xxx. 11-14; 1 Kings xix. 11-13; Luke xvii. 20, 21; John i. 9; Heb. viii. 10.] b. Can we then attain to a full knowledge of God? 1 Cor. xiii. 12. c. What is first required before we can come to a knowledge of God? Matt. v. 8; John vii. 17; [Ps. xxv. 9; Prov. ii. 3-5; Jer. xxix. 13; Matt. vii. 7, 8; 1 Cor. viii. 2, 3.] 7 2. How does God reveal himself in nature? God reveals himself in nature as the almighty Creator of the universe, the wise and loving Governor of all things. a. Has God always existed? Ps. xc. 2. b. How is the creation described in the Bible? Gen. i. c. What poetical descriptions of God's government do we find in the Old Testament? Ps. xviii. 7-16; civ. and cxlvii.; [Job ix. 4-12; xxvi. 6-14.] d. What has Jesus taught of God's care for the whole creation? Matt. vi. 26-32. 3. How does God reveal himself in the history of the world? God reveals himself in the history of the world as the ever-present, all-knowing, wise, and righteous Governor of the destinies of nations and men. a. How is God's omnipresence described in the Bible? Jer. xxiii. 23, 24; Heb. iv. 13. b. What do we read of God's omniscience in Ps. cxxxix. 1-12, and Mal. iii. 16 b? c. How is God's wisdom celebrated in Ps. civ. 24? d. How God's righteousness in Gen. xviii. 25? 4. How does God reveal himself in man? God reveals himself also in man's heart and conscience. Thereby we know him as holy love, as the heavenly Father of all men. 8 a. What do we read of God's holiness in the Old and New Testaments? Ps. xcix. 9; Hab. i. 13 a; 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. b. How did Jesus teach the fatherly love of God? Matt. v. 45; Luke xiii. 6-9; xv. 16-20. c. Can the sufferings of human life be reconciled with God's fatherly love? Heb. xii. 6-11; [Ps. cxix. 67, 71, 92; Wisd. of Sol. xii. 2; Rom. v. 3-5; 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. Comp. Heb. ii. 10; v. 8; Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6.] [d. Is God's mercy one with his justice, -his grace one with his will? Dent. x. 13.] CHAPTER III. MAN. 1. What is man? Man is the highest of all earthly creatures. He is created with power to go ever forward in spiritual perfection. a. What do we read in the Old Testament about the creation of man? Gen. i. 26, 28; ii. 7. b. What is meant by man's being created in the image of God? Acts xvii. 28 b, and Ps. viii. 5-9. c. How does the Bible speak of the purpose of man's life? Levit. xix. 2; Matt. v. 4-8. 2. In what relations does man stand to the animal world, and in what to God? 9 Through his senses and physical nature man is connected with the animal world; by his rational and spiritual nature he is related to God. a. What do you understand by man's senses and physical nature? Gal. v. 17. b. Why do we call man a rational being? 1 Cor. x. 15. c. Whence does it appear that he is also a spiritual being? Rom. vii. 22. 3. What is man's calling in the world? Man's calling in the world is to serve God by developing and perfecting himself through labor, strife, and suffering, and likewise to help to make all around him happier and better.* a. How may labar help on our growth? Prov. vi. 6, 9; Matt. xxv. 13-30; 1 Cor. x. 31. b. How may the strife and suffering in the world work to the same end? Luke xiii. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17; Job v. 7; Rom. v. 3-5. c. How may we help to make others happier and better? Matt. vii. 12; Rom. xii. 15; Gal. v. 9. [d. What spirit should there be in all our work? Matt. xxv. 21 a; Luke xvi. 10 a. e. What joys crown right endeavor?] * [" What is the chief end of man?] Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. — Westm. Cat.] 10 CHAPTER IV. SIN. 1. What do you understand by sin? We give the name of sin to all that is at strife with our conscience, and therefore with the will of God.* a. How is sin described in the Bible? Matt. xv. 19; Gal. v. 17, 19-21; James i. 13-15; [iv. 17.] b. What difference is there between error and sin? Luke xii. 47; Rom. ii. 12. Comp. 14, 15. [c. And what likeness in their consequences? John xvii. 2 b. Comp. Luke xxiii. 34 a. Acts xxii. 3 b, 4; xxvi. 9-11. Comp. Gal. i. 13, 14; Ephes. iv. 18. d. When is error sinful? Rom. x. 3.] e. What is the conscience and how does it reveal man to himself? Isaiah xlviii. 22; Rom. vii. 19, 23, 24; [John vii. 17; Ezek. xi. 19, 20.] g. Why has God attached all kinds of suffering to sin? Luke xv. 17, 18; Heb. xii. 10 b. 2. Is sin universal among men? Sin is universal among men; it results from our spiritual weakness. a. What is told us in the Bible of man's first sin? Gen. iii. 1-8. *[I venture here to supplement the author's definition by the following; - " Sin is that quality of any act whereby man asserts for himsefw beinug an; lordship apart from, and independent of, God's."] 11 b. To what was sin attributed by the Jews and the first Christians? I Chron. xxi. 1; Job i. 6-12; Matt. iv. 1; 1 Peter v. 8.* c. Is sin equally great in all men? Matt. xi. 21-24. d. Name some kinds of sin, of which men are guilty. Luke xviii. 11; 1 Cor. xv. 33; James iii. 5, 9. 3. What evils spring from sin? Sin is a source of every kind of evil; it makes man deeply wretched in body and soul. a. Name some of the evils which sin brings with it. Gen. iv. 3-13; Matt. xxvii. 5; Luke xv. 14-17; Ephes. iv. 18; [John iii. 19; Rom. i. 28.] b. What did the Israelites conceive the consequences of sin to be? Gen. iii. 3, 19; 2 Sam. xxi. 1; John ix. 1,2. c. In what sense may death be called a consequence of sin? Luke xv. 24; Rom. v. 12. [d. What is repentance? 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11; Luke xv. 18, 19. e. By what may we overcome sin? Luke x. 27, 28; 1 John ii. 10; iii. 14; iv. 7-12; Rom. xiii. 8-10; viii. 2.] CHAPTER V. JESUS CHRIST. 1. Does God leave man without help? God seeks in every way to bring man to himself, * [All these references seem to apply to temptation rather than to sin. Compare with them, Job i. 22 a; Gen. iii. 17; Ps. Ii. 1-4; Jer. xvii. 9; Rom. v. 12; vii. 14-24; James i. 14, 15.] 12 and to awaken and strengthen the religious life in his heart. This we see especially in the sending of wise men and prophets, and, above all, in the sending of Jesus Christ. a. What did God do, among the Israelites, to awaken the religious life in them? Heb. i. 1. [Comp. Wisd. of Sol. vii. 27.] b. How does God's love appear in the sending of Jesus Christ? John iii. 16. c. Why is Jesus called Christ? Matt. xvi. 13-20; John vi. 68, 69; [Matt. xii. 18; John i. 17; Heb. i. 9; Ephes. ii. 17-22.1 2. Who was Jesus? Jesus was the greatest and most exalted of all mankind. He called himself the Son of man and the Son of God. a. Whence does it appear that Jesus was really man? Luke ii. 52; Matt. viii. 24 b; Luke xxii. 44; xxiii. 46; Heb. v. 7, 8. b. Why is it important to consider this? John xiii. 15; 1 Peter ii. 21. c. Was Jesus also exposed to temptation to sin? Luke iv. 1-13; Matt. xvi. 23; Heb. ii. 18; iv. 15..d. What did Jesus mean by the name, Son of God? Matt. v. 9; Luke vi. 35; Gal. iii. 26; [Matt. xi. 27; Mark xii. 6; Gal. iv. 4-7. Comp. Philip. ii. 15; Rom. viii. 14-19.] 3. What did Jesus accomplish in Israel? 18 By his preaching and his life, Jesus founded the true religion in Israel. a. Was the life of Jesus in harmony with his preaching? Matt. v. 44. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 22; Matt. xxvi. 63 a, and Luke xxiii. 34 a. b. With what kind of religion did many of Jesus' contemporaries content themselves? Matt. v. 20; vi. 1, 2, 5, 7, 16; [xxiii. 5, 13-15, 23-30.] CHAPTER VI. THE PREACHING OF JESUS. 1. What were the characteristic features of the preaching of Jesus? The characteristic features of Jesus' preaching were its simplicity and truthfulness, its passion, its boundless height, and depth, and breadth, and its universal adaptability to human needs. a. In what did Jesus' preaching differ from that of the Jewish teachers? Matt. vii. 29. b. What form was Jesus most fond of using in his preaching? Matt. xiii. 3. 2. What was the substance of Jesus' preaching? Jesus' whole preaching was of religion. He taught men to see God's goodness in nature and in their lives, and roused them to love their Father in 14 heaven, and to consecrate to him their hearts and lives. a. How did Jesus teach men to see God's goodness in nature and in their lives? Matt. v. 45 b; vii. 11; x. 29, 30. b. How did Jesus rouse men to love their Father in heaven? Matt. xxii. 35-40; vi. 24-33. c. What feelings did Jesus try to inspire in men's hearts? Matt. v. 3-10; vi. 1-8, 14, 15, 19, 21, 24, 31-33. 8. Did Jesus also establish a rule of faith? Jesus established no rule of faith.* He tried to open men's eyes to the truth and to their destiny, and to develop and perfect all the good that was slumbering in their hearts. a. What is a rule of faith? b. Why did not Jesus try to force his convictions upon any one? John vii. 17; viii. 47; xviii. 37. [Comp. Matt. vii. 24-27.] c. How did Jesus seek to open men's eyes to the truth? Luke vii. 36-50; x. 25-37. * [Whatever objections we may have to certain specific codified creeds and to the use which is sometimes made of them, we must be careful not to overlook the fact that the teaching of Christ has an intellectual and scientific element in it, a basis of theological principles, upon whose truth the right of the Christian religion to exist is largely founded, and upon our conviction of whose truth our own right to think ourselves Christians largely depends,-principles which we must thoroughly examine, diligently try to comprehend, and honestly accept, before we have a right to regard our Christian faith as resting upon firm ground.] 15 CHAPTER VII. THE LIFE OF JESUS. 1. By what was Jesus guided in all that he said and did? Jesus was guided, in all that he said and did, by his unbounded love to God and to man. a. How did Jesus show his love to God? Matt. xxvi. 39 b; John iv. 34; xiv. 31; [Matt. v. 45 a; xi. 26; Mark viii. 33.] b. How did he show his love to man? Matt. xi. 28; Luke xix. 41; xxiii. 34; [Matt. v. 44; xviii. 11, 21, 22; xix. 14; xxiii. 37; xxv. 40.] 2. When did the greatness of Jesus most appear? The greatness of Jesus showed itself most of all in his sufferings and death. a. What value did Jesus himself recognize in his sufferings and death? Matt. xx. 28; Mark xiv. 24. b. What do we read in the Epistles of the sufferings and death of Jesus? Rom. v. 6-8; vi. 10-13; 1 Pet. ii. 21-24. [c. Wherein lies their power over our spirits, or what in Jesus was expressed in enduring them? 3. What value has Jesus' life for us? By his spiritual greatness in life and death, 16 Jesus is the highest revelation of God to us, and likewise our best example. By following him, we are redeemed from sin, and come into closest communion with our Father in heaven. a. How do you understand the words which we read in John xiv. 9? b. In what may we follow Jesus? Matt. v. 13-16; vi. 14; xxvi. 39; (John xiv. 6)*; [Heb. xii. 2, 3; 1 Pet. ii. 19-21; Ephes. iv. 13.] c. How did Jesus himself speak of his work for the redemption of mankind? Matt. xi. 28-30; Luke xix. 10; Mark ii. 17; (John viii. 12; xv. 1); [Matt. xviii. 11; xx. 28; xxvi. 28.] [d. Wherein lies the power of his work over our spirits, or, what in Jesus expressed itself in that work?] CHAPTER VIII. CHRISTIAN FAITH. 1. What do you understand by Christian faith? Christian faith is childlike trust in our Father in heaven, such as Jesus Christ manifested in his whole life.t * [The marks of parenthesis are throughout the author's.] t [I venture here to add: - Faith is allegiance to the highest truth within the reach of our spirits. Christian faith is allegiance to Christianity as the highest truth we know.] 17 a. How is faith spoken of in the Old Testament? Ps. xxxvii. 3 a, 5; cxviii. 6, 8; Isaiah xl. 26-31; [Dent. xxxiii. 27 a; Ps. iv. 8; xlvi.; Isaiah xxvi. 3.] b. What do we read about it in the New Testament? Matt. vii. 7-11; x. 29-31; John xiv. 11; 1 Tim. ii. 4; [Heb. xi. 1, 10, 13-16, 25, 32-40; xii. 1-3. Comp. Mark x. 27; xii. 10, 11; Acts iv. 20; Rom. viii. 28, 31.] 2. How may Christian faith be fostered? Christian faith may be awakened and fostered by the teaching, the example, and the spirit of Jesus Christ. a. How may the teaching and example of Jesus work to this end? Matt. vi. 26-34; xxvi. 39 b, 42; [Ephes. i. 17-19; 2 Pet. i. 3-8.] b. What influence has the spirit of Jesus upon religious faith? John xv. 1-8; [i. 12; x. 10 b; xvi. 33; Rom. viii. 2, 3, 14-17; Gal. ii. 20; Ephes. iii. 1419; 1 Pet. iv. 1 a.] 3. What fruits does Christian faith bear? Christian faith brings man into childlike relations with God, gives him full assurance of God's forgiving love, and manifests itself in all that the Christian says and does. [a. How does faith act upon our hearts and lives? John xiv. 12; 2 Cor. iv. 13; 1 John ii. 3-6.] b. What has Jesus taught of God's forgiving love? Luke vii. 40-50; xv. 20-24. 2 18 c. How do the apostles speak of it in their epistles? 2 Cor. v. 18-21; 1 John iv. 10. d. What makes us capable of receiving God's forgiving love? Luke xv. 18, 19; xviii. 13; 2 Cor. vii. 10. e. What is a faith which does not manifest itself in the life? James ii. 17; Matt. vii. 15-21. [f. How does faith differ from self-confidence? John vi. 38; vii. 16; xii. 49; Rom. xii. 3; 1 Cor. iv. 1, 7; ix. 16; 2 Cor. iv. 5; x. 12, 13; xiii. 8; Gal. vi. 3, 4; Philip. ii. 12, 13; iv. 13. g. How from passing enthusiasm? Mark iv. 16, 17; Gal. iv. 18. h. What trials must faith withstand and overcome? Mark iv. 19; iv. 20.] CHAPTER IX. CHRISTIAN LOVE. 1. What is the fairest fruit of Christian faith? The fairest fruit of Christian faith is love; by which the whole life of the Christian should be hallowed. a. What has Jesus said of love? Matt. v. 5, 7, 9; vii. 12; xx. 27, 28. b. How has Paul described love? 1 Cor. xiii. 1-7; [Rom. xiii. 8-10.] c. What do we read about it elsewhere in the New Testament? 1 John iii. 14-19; iv. 10-12, 18-21. 19 2. What duties spring from love? In love lie folded up all the duties of man toward God, his neighbor, and himself. a. What duties does love to God lay upon us? Matt. vi. 10 b; 1 Cor. x. 31; Rom. xii. 1, 2. b. What do we owe to our neighbor? 1 John iv. 1012, 19-21; Luke x. 30-37; xxi. 1-4; 1 Cor. xii. 26; Ephes. iv. 32; Philip. ii. 4, 5; 1 Pet. iv. 10; [Rom. xiv. 13; xv. 1; 1 Cor. viii. 9; ix. 19-23; x. 32, 83; 2 Cor. xii. 15; Gal. v. 13; vi. 1, 2, 6.] c. What faults and vices conflict most with love to our neighbor? Matt. vii. 1-5; xix. 18; Luke xii. 15; 1 Cor. iii. 3; 1 Tim. vi. 10, 17. d. What is the Christian's duty towards himself? Matt. vi. 33; xvi. 26; Luke xii. 20, 21; Ephes. iv. 13, 22-24; 2 Pet. i. 5-7.] [e. Can you show how every duty that we do is done at once to God, and to mankind, and to ourselves? Matt. v. 16, 44, 45, 48; vii. 3-5; xxv. 40; Mark xii. 30, 31; John xvii. 19, 21a; 1 Cor. ix. 27; Rom. v. 19.] 3. What influence does love exert upon the whole life of the Christian? All the relations that exist between men are hallowed and made worthier by Christian love. [a. How does love act upon our hearts and lives? John xiv. 23 a.] b. What does the child owe to his parents? Ephes. vi. 1, 2; Col. iii. 20. c. What are the duties of servants towards their 20 masters and mistresses [and vice versa]? Eph. vi. 5-9. d. How are other relations hallowed by Christian love? Rom. xii. 15-18. 4. Whlat power has love over sin? Love is the opposite of selfishness, from which all sin proceeds, and therefore love is a power which enables us to overcome sin. a. How did Jesus withstand the power of sin by his love? John xiv. 31. b. How may the Christian follow the Master in selfdenial? Matt. xvi. 24, 25; John xiii. 14; Gal. iv. 2. CHAPTER X. CHRISTIAN HOPE. 1. What expectations does faith awaken in the Christian's heart? Faith makes the Christian hope in a better future, where all evil shall be overcome, and all pain at an end. [a. Consider here the mysterious problem, - can one sin forever? Mark iii. 28-30; John iii. 19; Rom. i. 28; Ephes. iv. 18; Titus i. 15.] b. In what respect does man not reach in this world 21 his destined end? [Matt. v. 48]; 1 Cor. xiii. 9-12; Rom. viii. 24, 25. c. How did Jesus show his hope in a better futureMatt. xxvi. 64; Luke xxiii. 43; (John xii. 32.) d. How does Paul speak of Christian hope? Rom. viii. 18; 1 Cor. xiii. 10, 12; 2 Cor. v. 1; Gal. vi. 8. [e. How does hope act upon our hearts and lives? Heb. vi. 19; vii. 19; 1 John iii. 2, 3.] 2. Upon what ground does the Christian's hope regarding his own future rest? The Christian's hope of a life to come rests upon his steadfast faith in God's unchangeable and everlasting love for each and every human being. [a. How is this expressed by Jesus? Matt. xviii. 14.] b. How by Paul? Rom. [vi. 22, 23]; viii. 16, 17; 2 Cor. v. 5. c. In what moments of life is Christian hope the strongest? Luke xxiii. 46; Acts vii. 55; [Matt. xxiii. 37, 39.] d. How, in the Gospel of John, is man's religious life brought forward as evidence of his immortality? John v. 24; vi. 40; [John iii. 16; iv. 14; vi. 27, 33, 35, 51, 68; xi. 25, 26; xii. 44-50; xvii. 3. Comp. Luke x. 25-28; Acts ii. 24; 2 Cor. xv. 56, 57; 1 John ii. 17; iii. 14.] e. What fruits for our present life should the hope of the future bear? Rom. viii. 35-39; Philip. iii. 12, 14. 3. Can we form any conception of the life to come? 22 Regarding the form of the future life, nothing is known to us with certainty. Our childlike faith in God's wisdom and love makes us go to meet the future with confidence. a. What conceptions had the Jews of the future life? Job x. 21, 22; [Job xiv. 7-15; xix. 25-27; xxi. 2326, 30; xxx. 23, 24; xxxiv. 22; xxxviii. 17; Ps. vi. 5; xvi. 10, 11; xxx. 9; xxxix. 13; xlix. 15; lxxi. 20; lxxiii. 24; lxxxviii. 5, 10, 12; cxv. 17; cxlvi. 4; Isaiah xxvi. 19; xxxviii. 18; Hosea xiii. 14; Eccles. iii. 19-21; ix. 2-6; xii. 7, 14; Dan. xii. 2; 2 Mace. vi. 26; vii. 9, 11, 23, 29]; Matt. xiv. 1, 2; Acts xxiii. 8. b. What has Jesus said about it? Luke xvi. 19-31; [xviii. 29, 30]; xx. 27-38; xxiii. 43; (John xiv. 2.) [See also the texts relating to the kingdom of heaven, where the element of time may not enter in, but where the future is referred to as well as the present, as Matt. v. 2-9, 19, 20, 44, 45, 48; vi. 9 a, 10 a, etc.] C. What has Paul written about it? 1 Cor. xv. 3554; (espec. v. 50); 1 Thess. iv. 15-17. (1 Cor. ii. 9, 10; 2 Cor. iv. 17-v. 4.] d. With what feelings should we await death? [Job xiii. 15 a]; Matt. vi. 34; Rom. viii. 28, 31; xiv. 8. 23 CHAPTER XI. CHRISTIAN PRAYER. 1. What is Christian prayer? Christian prayer is a lifting up of the heart to the Eternal, the Ruler over all. By it the bond which unites us with God is strengthened, and the religious life quickened. [a. Is any violation of material or spiritual law implied in God's granting our petitions? b. What are some of the mysteries surrounding prayer?] c. Are there other means, besides, of quickening the religious life? Luke iv. 16-21; 1 Thess. v. 11; [Col. iii. 16.] d. What does Jesus say of the praying of the scribes and Pharisees? Matt. vi. 5, 6; Luke xviii. 10-14. e. What example has Jesus set us in praying? Matt. xxvi. 39; [Matt. xi. 25, 26.] f. What should be the disposition of our hearts when we pray? Mark xi. 25; Philip. iv. 6; [Ps. cxlv. 18 b; Matt. v. 6; Luke xviii. 13.] g. In what sense can we speak ofprayer's being heard? Luke xxii. 43; 1 John v. 14, 15; [Rom. viii. 26.] h. What value has praying for others, and social prayer? Ephes. vi. 18, 19; 1 Thess. v. 11; [Col. i. 3, 9; iv. 12; Philip. i. 4.] [i. What feelings, needs, and longings of our nature seek expression in prayer? Ps. vii. 17; ix. 1; xii. 1; xxiii. 1-4; xxv. 16; xxxviii. 6, 15; xlii. 1, 2; 24 li. 1-3, 10; lvi. 11; lvii. 1; lxiii. 8; cvii. 1; Matt. xxiii. 37; xxvi. 41; Luke xxiii. 34 a; Acts vii. 60; Rom. vii. 24; viii. 22, 23; x. 1; 2 Cor. i. 7; Gal. iv. 19; Ephes. i. 16, 17; iii. 20, 21; Philip. iii. 14; Col. ii. 1, 2. j. Upon what principle of faith is our right to pray founded? Ps. xviii. 46; Ephes. iv. 6; Gal. iv. 6; Acts xvii. 27, 28; Matt. vii. 7-11; Matt. vi. 9.] 2. What prayer did Jesus give to his disciples? Jesus taught the nature of true prayer by what we call the Lord's Prayer. a. On what occasion did Jesus give this prayer? Luke xi. 1, 2. b. Give a short explanation of each of the petitions which make up this prayer. Matt. vi. 9-13.* 3. Are there fixed times or places in which the Christian ought especially to pray? The Christian may at all times and in all places lift up his heart to God. The Christian's whole life should be full of prayer and thanksgiving.t *[In the petition " and forgive us our debts as we forgive our.debtors," we pray God to pardon our sins, " which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others." t This, though true, does not seem to be an answer to the question. To help our lives to become lives of prayer an~ thanksgiving, there are means prescribed by our human nature which we must regard. The danger of praying at fixed times is, that we are liable to make such prayer a lifeless formality. The danger of not praying at fixed times is, that we are likely thus not to pray at all. A stated habit of reflection upon our duties and religious things with prayer, whenever sincere prayer is possible, is of the highest importance for maintaining religion in us.] 25 a. How do we find this truth expressed in John iv. 19-24? b. What do we read about it elsewhere? 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. c. Ought we then wholly to disapprove of prayer at fixed times and places? Mark i. 35; Matt. xiv. 23; Luke vi. 12; [Matt. vi. 6; xxvi. 26, 44.] CHAPTER XII. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 1. What do you understand by the Christian church? The Christian church embraces all who love Jesus Christ as their Forerunner and Master. a. Was the Christian church then really founded by Jesus? Matt. xi. 28-30; xiii. 33, 37; [Matt. ix. 35-38; xii. 50; xxvi. 13 a; Mark i. 14, 38, 39; iii. 14; vi. 34; viii. 35; xiv. 9, 10; Luke iv. 43, 44; viii. 1; ix. 2, 6; xi. 28.] [b. For what objects does the Christian church exist? Matt. vi. 10; John xiv. 12; Acts i. 8 b; Ephes. ii. 17-22; Rev. x. 11; xi. 15; xiv. 6; xxi. 1-4, 10, 22, 23.] c. What were the beginnings of the church? Acts ii. 44; iv. 32. d. What is a congregation* [or church, in a very narrow sense of the word]? 1 Cor. i. 2. * [Dutch, gemeente. This is not equivalent to our word church in its narrowest sense of the local body of professing Christians.] 26 2. What is the bond by which the members of the Christian church are united with each other? The members of the Christian church are united with each other by the bond of the holy spirit. a. What do you understand by the holy spirit, or holy ghost? Luke iii. 16; iv. 18. b. What is said of the holy spirit in the fourth gospel? John vii. 37-39; xiv. 16, 17; Xv. 26; xvi. 13, 14. [Comp. Rom. viii. 14-17.] c. How is the working of the holy spirit described in the New Testament? Acts ii. 4; viii. 29; x. 44 -46; xi. 15; [1 Cor. xii. 6-11; 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18.] [d. What do we read in the Old Testament of the spirit of God in man? Ex. xxxi. 3; Numb. xi. 29; 1 Sam. x. 6; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2; 2 Chron. x~ 1; Nehem. ix. 20; Job xxxii. 8; Ps. li. 11, 12.] e. How does the holy spirit manifest itself in the life of every Christian? Ephes. iv. 3; Pal. v. 22, 23. 3. W7hat is a church in the largest corporate sense? The Christian church gradually split into several parts, which, nevertheless, are bound together by the same spirit. These parts are called churches.* a. What are the three chief divisions of the Christian church? b. What gave rise to this separation? 1 Cor. i. 12. c. What future may we look for, for the church? John x. 16; Ephes. iv. 13-15. * [Dutch, kerkgenootschap, large association of believers.] 27 CHAPTER XIII. THE PROTESTANT CHURCH. 1. Is the Protestant church already what it ought to be? The Protestant church is still in many respects imperfect; but it bears within itself the germs of lasting development and reform. a. When was the Protestant church founded? b. Into what societies is the Protestant church divided? c. Do you know any particulars regarding the points of difference formerly existing between the Protestant societies? d. What controversy has in our time taken the place of these [or controversies]? [e. How long is controversy a duty? James iii. 17a. Comp. Matt. x. 34-37. f. What spirit should we try to bring to it? Ephes. iv. 15 a.] 2. By what is the religious life of the Protestant church promoted? The religious life of the Protestant church is promoted by religious meetings, and by the labors of its ministers. a. What is the task of the Christian minister? Matt. xiii. 3 b; Mark xvi. 15; [Jer. iii. 15; Ezek. 28 iii. 17-21; Matt. xiii. 51, 52; John xxi. 15-17; Acts viii. 30, 31; 2 Cor. vi. 1, 3-10; 1 Thess. ii. 1-12; 2 Tim. ii. 3, 15, 24, 25; Titus ii. 7, 8; 1 Pet. v. 2, 3.] b. What should every Christian do to promote the religious life of his church? Col. iii. 16; 1 Thess. v. [11,] 12, 13; Heb. x. 24, 25; [Rom. xii. 4-8; 1 Thess. iii. 12; 2 Cor. viii. 12.] c. What feasts are celebrated in the Protestant church [or in parts of it]? d. What is the meaning of them? [Matt. ii. 1-11]; John iii. 16; Ephes. v. 2; [Matt. xxviii. 1-10]; John xiv. 19; xiv. 2; [Acts i. 1-12]; Acts ii. 16-18, 40, 41. 3. What sacraments are in use in the Protestant church? The Protestant church makes use of two symbolical ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper. [a. What, in general, is the meaning, and right use of forms, ordinances, and ceremonies? b. How may they be abused?] c. What is the meaning of baptism? Matt. xxviii. 19. [1 Cor. xii. 13 a; 2 Cor. v. 17; Ephes. iv. 23.] d. And what of the Lord's Supper? Matt. xxvi. 26-28; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17; xi. 24-26. 3. What does becoming a member of the church signify? 29 The formal joining of the church is a confirmation of our baptism, and an open profession of Christianity. a. What is required to become a member of the church? Matt. v. 3, 6; xi. 28. b. What obligations do we thereby take upon ourselves? Luke xiii. 24; Acts ii. 42; 2 Cor. vii. 1; Ephes. iv. 1-3, 22-24; Gal. v. 1, [13; 1 Pet. ii. 16. Consider Rom. ii. 24, 25.] [c. What spiritual helps does fellowship with the Christian church bring us? Ephes. ii. 19-22; iv. 10-16. d. Why, and when, is it right for us formally to join it? In this connection, consider your answer to the question, - chap. xii. 1 b, - upon the objects for whose attainment the Christian church is organized.] CHAPTER XIV. CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIETY. 1. In what relation does Christianity stand to society? The members of the Christian church are likewise members of society. The duties which Christianity lays upon us can never conflict with the claims of social life. 30 [a.'Upon this subject consider Deut. xvi. 11, 14; xxvi. 11; xxxiii. 13-16; Ps. clxix. 1-4; Matt. xi. 19 a; 1 Cor. x. 31; Ex. xxviii. 3; xxxi. 3-6; xxxv. 25, 26; xxxvi. 1; Prov. xx. 12; Ecclesiasticus xxxviii. 6; Matt. ix. 8; Zech. xiv. 20, 21 a; 1 Cor. xii. 31 a; Matt. xxv. 14-30. b. Are Christian principles of universal application, or are there separate standards for the regulation of secular life, as in trade, politics, science, art, literature, etc.? c. What difficulties do you meet with in trying to apply Christianity to your daily life?] d. What are we to understand by seeking the things which are above? Col. iii. 1, 2; Matt. vi. 20, 21. e. May the Christian also take part in the pleasures of the world? 1 Tim. iv. 4; 1 Cor. vii. 31; x. 31; Philip. iv. 8. 2. What influence must Christianity exert upon the world? Christianity must ever more and more penetrate the world, and exert a hallowing influence upon all the occupations of social life. a. In what parable has Jesus expressed this? Matt. xiii. 33. b. What influence must Christianity exert upon men's daily employments? 1 Tim. vi. 6-11. 3. What future may we expect for humanity? The future which Christianity makes us expect 31 for humanity is, the kingdom of God upon earth, or the triumph of truth, goodness, and love. a. What has Jesus said of the future of humanity? Matt. xiii. 31, 32. b. How has Paul described this future? 1 Cor. xv. 28. c. How may every Christian help to bring it about? Ephes. vi. 10-18. TWO VALUABLE AND SUGGESTIVE QUESTION BOOKS, FOR SUNDAY SCHOOLS. MANY TEACHERS, BUT ONE LESSON. A Book for Sunday Schools and Families, by the author of Early Lessons about the Saviour, (second edition.) Price, $6.00 per dozen. LESSONS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. (FOR OLDER CLASSES.) BY CAROLINE S. WHITMARSH, AUTIOR OF Sunday Lessons for Young Children. Second Edition Revised. Just ready. Price, $5.00 per dozen. Both of the above books have been generally used in our schools the past year, and with great satisfaction. WM. V. SPENCER, Publisher, 203 Washington Street, (corner of Bromfield Street,) BOSTON, MASSo JUSST PUJBLISHIED. For SUNDAY SCHOOLS and BIBLE CLASSES. Hand-Book of Religious Instruction. PART FIRST. THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. PART SECOND. THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. From the Dutch of J. H. MARONIAR. Translated and revised by F. T. Washburn. Price of each part $1,25 per dozen.