sight than this: it was not in London this sight was seen, but in a city a great way off. There was a crowd of people looking at one man; that man was covered with blood; his back was marked by the stripes of the rope, his forehead was pricked by thorns which had been fastened round his head, his face looked very sad, as if he had been shedding many tears; his body was very thin, and his knees were so weak that he could hardly stand, yet there was a great piece of wood on his back, and he was dragging it along, but it seemed as if he could hardly move another step, it seemed as if he would faint and drop down dead by the way. There were some soldiers near the man-very cruel men, who laughed at him and abused him. But they did not wish him to die on the road, for they were going to kill him in another place; they would not help him to drag the wood along, but they met a stranger, and they made him help to carry the wood. What was this wood for? You shall know soon. All the crowd were not laughing at the poor man; some were crying very much. There were some women who seemed very unhappy; these women loved the poor man, and could not bear to see him ill-treated. Do you think that poor man is good? See how gentle he looks! Now hear him speak. How sweetly he speaks! He turns round and tells the poor women not to cry about him. Not one rude word does that poor man say to all the wicked people who are laughing at him. Do you not think he must be good? At last the soldiers come to a place outside the town; they stop the poor man-they take the wood off his shoulders-they lay it on the ground; it is a very large piece of wood, and there is another piece nailed across it. It is a cross. The soldiers take off the poor man's clothes, and then they make him lie upon the cross; they stretch out his hands, and strike a great nail through each palm; they stretch out his legs, and strike great nails through his feet, and so they fasten him to the wood; then they take hold of the cross and lift it up, and thrust it into a deep hole in the ground. Oh, what a jerk that was for those bleeding wounds in those hands and feet! It is morning, about nine o'clock; it is beginning to get hot, for the weather is hot. What a crowd collects round that cross! What loud laughs are heard! Some people say, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." And is he the Son of God? Oh, yes, he is; he came down from heaven to die instead of you and me, my child. We all deserve to die, and to go to hell. But the Son of God never did any thing wrong; it was very wicked in people to kill him. Is he angry with the wicked people? What is he saying upon the cross? He is praying to God his Father. This is what he says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." How kind to pray for the people who were killing him! The soldiers do not pity him. What are they doing with those clothes? They are dividing them between them; the four soldiers tear the clothes into four parts, there is one garment, something like a shirt, only with no seam in it, but woven all in one piece; the soldiers do not like to tear that, so they cast lots for it, to see who will get it. These sol diers care for the clothes, but not for the Son of God. O foolish soldiers, that poor man whom you laugh at could give you better clothes than those-clothes that would never wear out. All the people who love the Son of God shall live with him, and wear white and beautiful clothes, and never be hungry any more, or thirsty, or sick, or unhappy. Would you like to live with the Son of God? His name is Jesus, which means Saviour. He can save you from going to hell. At last it is twelve o'clock; all at once it grows quite dark, though it is the middle of the day. No one now can see the face of Jesus. Do you not think the darkness must frighten the wicked people? It is a sign that God is angry. Still, the people go on mocking -they are not sorry for their cruelty. At last a voice is heard to say, "I thirst! It is the voice of Jesus. He must be thirsty hanging for six hours upon that cross in the heat and in great pain. One of the soldiers dips a sponge in vinegar and puts it on the end of a stick, and lifts it up to the mouth of Jesus-it touches his dry lips-then a voice is heard again, saying, "It is finished!" that means, it is all done. Once more a loud voice is heard. It is Jesus praying his Father to take his soul, and then he bows his head and dies. Then the earth shakes, and great cracks are seen in the hard rocks, and the wicked people are very much afraid. Then it becomes light, and they can see the dead body of Jesus hanging on the cross. Where is his soul? With his Father in heaven. His pain is over; his sorrow is gone; he is happy now, and he will be happy forever. His body is put into the ground, but it soon rises out of the tomb, and goes up to God, for Jesus is the Son of God. There are a great many souls with Jesus in heaven now. All who love him go up to be with him when they die, but the wicked are cast down into darkness with the devil. May you never go there! Jesus died to save you, but if you will go on being wicked he can not save you. How glad Jesus is when any boy or girl says to him, "Jesus, save me! How glad Jesus will be to take your soul to heaven when you die. 1 Would you read about the death of Jesus, look at Matt. 27: 31-54; Mark 25: 20-39; Luke 23: 26-48; John 19: 16–31. Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, Was it for crimes that I had done Well might the sun in darkness hide, When God, the mighty Maker, died For man, the creature's, sin. |