twenty years; but at length the temple was completed, and dedicated with great rejoicings; and the Lord again blessed his people in their own land. The remnant of the kingdom of Judah were called Jews in the land of their captivity, and they still are known by this name. And there was a good man, named Ezra, who was one of the scribes, or teachers of the law, and he assembled the whole congregation, both of men and women, and all who could hear with understanding; and Ezra stood up upon a pulpit of wood, high above all the people, and opened the book of the law of Moses; and when he opened the book the people stood up, and the Levites explained the law to the people. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

After this the nobles and people entered into a covenant to walk in God's laws, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord their God. And they never after worshipped idols.

Questions.-Whom did Isaiah prophecy of by name two hundred years before he was born? [Ans. Cyrus.] What did the prophet foretel concerning him? [Ans. That he should restore the people of Judah to their own land.] How long did the prophet Jeremiah foretel that the captivity should last? [Ans. Seventy years.] To whom did God give the kingdom of Babylon at the end of seventy years? [Ans. To Cyrus.] What did God put into his heart to do? [Ans. To set the Jews free.] Did he let them go back to their own land? [Ans. Yes.] What did he give them back? [Ans. The vessels of the temple.] Who carried the people of Judah into captivity? [Ans. Nebuchadnezzar ] What did Isaiah foretel they should do when they went back to their own land? [Ans. Build Jerusalem again.] Did they do so? [Ans. Yes.] Did they build the temple also? [Ans. Yes.] Who read the law to the people when Jerusalem was rebuilt? [Ans. Ezra, the scribe.] Were not the Jews very happy when they got back to their own land again? [Ans. Yes.] Why had God cast them out of it? [Ans. Because they forsook him and worshipped idols.] Did they ever bring back idolatry afterwards? [Ans. No.]

Instruction.---Though the people kept from idolatry after their captivity, they corrupted the law of Moses, and did

many bad things, for which the Lord punished them, by letting some of the wicked kings and princes, who reigned over other nations, persecute them, and kill great numbers of them in battle; but at last, when their enemies wanted to force them to worship idols, and they refused to do so, God was pleased to raise up Mattathias and his sons, who were very good men, to deliver them: one of the sons of Mattathias was named Judas Maccabeus; he was very valiant, and he went forth to battle, protecting the true worshippers of God, and killing all those who oppressed them. But at last, forgetting that he was to depend upon God alone, Judas Maccabeus applied to the Romans, a very powerful people, and begged their assistance in subduing the enemies of the people of Israel, on which account God suffered him to be slain in battle. And in his time the Romans conquered the Jews, and made Judea a Roman province; so that the Jews were obliged to pay a large sum of money every year to the Romans for leave to have a governor and laws of their own; and in this state they were in the time of Augustus Cæsar, the Roman emperor, in whose reign our Lord Jesus Christ was born into the world.

Questions-What did the Jews corrupt after they were restored to their own land? [Ans. The law of Moses.] How did God punish them? [Ans. God suffered other nations to persecute them. What good man and his family did God raise up to deliver them, when their enemies wanted to force them to worship idols? [Ans. Mattathias.] What was the name of one of Mattathias's sons who was a very great general? [Ans. Judas Maccabeus.] What wrong thing did Judas Maccabeus do after God had given him many victories? [Ans. He begged the help of the Romans.] Whose help should he have depended upon ? [Ans. God's help.] What did the Romans nake Judea in time? [Ans. A Roman province.] What were the Jews obliged to do then? [Ans, Pay money to the Romans every year.] Who was Augus tus Cæsar? [Ans. One of the Roman emperors.] was born into the world in his reign? [Ans. Our Lord Jesus Christ.]*

Who

The fourteenth Portion of Miscellaneous Questions to be asked here.

LECTURE XXIII.

Instruction.When Herod was king of Judea, and Augustus Cæsar emperor of Rome, there lived at Nazareth, a little town of Galilee, in the Holy Land, a young woman of extraordinary holiness, named Mary, who had been promised in marriage to a good man, whose name was Joseph, of the same family with her; that is, of the tribe of Judah, and of the house of David. God sent the holy angel, Gabriel, to Mary to tell her she was designed to be the mother of Christ the Son of God, who was to take our nature upon him that he might be a Saviour to mankind. Joseph and Mary were obliged to go to Bethlehem, a city of Judea, and lodge in a stable, and it was there that the holy infant was born. And that very night the angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds, who were watching their flocks, who told them of his birth; and the shepherds heard a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God on high, and on earth, peace, good-will to men;" because the Saviour was born, who was named Jesus, which signifies a Saviour. Some time after, wise men came out of the east country to worship this holy child, and made him an offering of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they told Herod that they came to worship the king of the Jews, he was alarmed at it, and caused all the infants in and about Bethlehem to be killed. But Joseph, by God's command, carried Jesus and his mother into Egypt, and they stayed there till the death of Herod, and then came back to Nazareth; where Jesus lived privately till he was about thirty years old, being subject to his mother and Joseph, who was his supposed father.

Questions-Who was the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ [Ans. The Virgin Mary.] What tribe was she of? [Ans. The tribe of Judah.] What family was she of? [Ans. The family of David.] What was her husband's name! [Ans. Joseph.] Who was the father of Christ? [Ans. God.] Who told the Virgin Mary that she should be the mother of Christ? [Ans. The angel Gabriel.] Where was our Saviour born? [Ans. At Bethlehem, in Judea.] To whom was the birth of the Saviour made known by the angel of the Lord ? [Ans. To some shepherds.] What did they hear sung dns. Glory to God, and peace and good-will to men.] Who sung this?[Ans. A multitude of the heavenly host.] Who are the heavenly host? [Ans. The Angels. What is

?

the meaning of the name Jesus? [Ans. A Saviour.] Who are the Jews? [Ans. The race of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.] What did God make the Israelites, for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? [Ans. His chosen people.] Who were the Gentiles? [Ans. Those who were not God's people.] What did the Gentiles worship? [Ans. Idols.] Who were the first Gentiles that worshipped Christ? [Ans. The wise men of the east.] What did Herod the king do when these wise men said they were come to worship a new-born king of the Jews? [Ans. Slew all the children of Bethlehem.] How did Jesus escape? [Ans. Joseph carried1 him into Egypt.] How came he to do so? [Ans. God commanded him in a dream.] What trade was Joseph of? Ans. A carpenter.]

Instruction.-Thirty years after the birth of Jesus there appeared a great prophet, John, the son of Zaccharias the priest, and of Elizabeth, cousin to the Virgin Mary. His birth had been foretold by the angel Gabriel. He lived in the wilderness a more austere life than the ancient prophets, and exhorted all the world to repentance," because," said he, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Those that took his advice, he baptized in the river Jordan. And from this St. John was called the baptist. The Jews would have owned him for the Messiah, or Christ, but he told them plainly they were mistaken in him, and that he was only his forerunner; that is to say, a man sent before to prepare the way for him, according to the old prophecies. Jesus came to John to be baptised, because he would fulfil all righteousness; and St. John bore witness, that he had seen the Holy Ghost descend upon Jesus as a dove; and heard the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased :' and said of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world!"

Questions.-What great prophet appeared about thirty years after the birth of Christ? [Ans. St. John the Baptist.] Whose son was he? [Ans. The son of Zaccharias and Elizabeth.] Where did John live? [Ans. In the wilderness.] Did the prophets foretel any thing about him? [Ans. Yes: that he should be the forerunner of the Messiah.] Who is meant by the Messiah? [Ans, Christ.] Did St. John come before Christ began to teach? [Ans. Yes.] What did he exhort all people to do? [Ans. Repent of their sins.] What did he say was at hand? [Ans. The kingdom of heaven.] What did he do to those who followed his advice? [Ans.

Baptized them in the river Jordan.] Why was he called the baptist? [ns Because he baptized.] Whom did the Jews. at first take him for? [Ans. The Messiah.] Did Christ go to him to be baptized? [Ans. Yes.] What descended upon our Saviour when he was baptized? [Ans. The Holy Ghost.] What is the Holy Ghost? [ns. The Spirit of God.] What did St. John the Baptist say of Christ? [Ans. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world!]

Instruction,-As s soon as Jesus was baptized, the Holy Ghost led him into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights, and God permitted the devil to tempt him in several different ways, but he drove him away. After this Jesus came back into Galilee and lived near the lake of Genezareth. There he called four fishermen to follow him, Andrew and Simon his brother, and two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Afterwards he called others, particularly a publican, or tax-gatherer, whose name was Matthew. They left all to follow him as soon as ever he called them. He had soon a great number of disciples, that is, people who attended to hear him, and inform themselves diligently of his doctrine. Out of them he chose twelve, whom he named apostles, which signifies persons sent; and these he sent to preach his doctrine. Their names were Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John the sons of Zebedee; Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, and Judas, his brother, who' was also called Thaddeus, Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

Questions.--Where did Jesus go to after he was baptized? [Ans. Into the wilderness.] For what purpose did he go thither? Ans. To be tempted of the devil.] How long was he there fasting? [Ans. Forty days and forty nights.] Was he tempted by the devil? [Ans. Yes.] Did he yield to any of the devil's temptations [Ans. No.] Did he not call disciples afterwards? [Ans. Yes.] What is meant by a disciple? [Ans. One who follows a master to learn of him.] How many apostles did our Lord choose? [Ans. Twelve.] What is the meaning of the word apostle? [Ans. Persons sent.] What trades were the first four apostles? [Ans. Fishermen.]

Instruction.-Jesus went through the cities and villages preaching every where the gospel of the kingdom of heaven; that is, the good news of salvation to sinners, through a Redeemer; and he declared himself to be the Messiah, or the